Phillip Green
Not even a crystal ball could have predicted Phillip Green’s journey.
When he first walked onto Victoria College’s campus in 1972, he had no idea those steps would lead to an accounting degree, a career in banking, and eventually the role of chairman and CEO of Frost Bank.
“I didn’t plan on going to college,” said Green. “But I came to faith when I was 18, the summer right after I graduated from high school. It changed how I viewed things and thought about things. That’s when I decided to give this college thing a try.”
Green is grateful the ‘college thing’ stuck. As a first-generation college student, Green spent three semesters at VC fully embracing the experience. To this day, he still leans on the study skills he learned in freshman orientation and VC classrooms.
“I learned how to study effectively and take good notes, which I still rely on to this day,” recalled Green. “I also learned how to write in a way that fully communicated my thoughts and ideas, and I had teachers who brought humanity to the subjects, which made it interesting.”
Having an affordable institution like VC in his own backyard gave Green the springboard he didn’t know he needed. He found confidence during his time at VC and carried it over to The University of Texas at Austin, where he graduated with honors in 1977 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. From there, he accepted an accounting job in San Antonio and steadily rose through the ranks at Frost Bank, where he was named CEO in 2016.
When Green reflects on his time at VC, he’s grateful to the teachers who encouraged him to ask questions and stay curious.
“Always approach any kind of educational opportunity as a chance to learn, not just a grade or a stepping stone to the next thing you want to do,” said Green. “Understanding that concept was really helpful to me. Asking questions is a lot of what I do today, and I learned how to do that with my professors at VC.”
VC wants to hear from former and current Pirates. Visit VictoriaCollege.edu/ShareYourStory to submit a success story in honor of VC’s 100th anniversary.